Seaside City Councilmember Alex Miller has raised roughly $68,000 in his bid to unseat Mayor Ian Oglesby, who has raised about $12,600. The figures come from campaign finance disclosure forms first reported by Monterey County NOW on Friday, Oct. 30.

The more-than-five-to-one fundraising gap sets the stage for Tuesday, Nov. 3, when Seaside voters will pick their next mayor.

The filings show Miller's campaign pulled in the bulk of its money early, raising about $40,000 in cash and $5,000 in non-monetary contributions from roughly 55 donors between Jan. 1 and June 30. The largest single donation came from Scott Poe, owner of Poe's Plumbing, who gave $5,900, the maximum allowed under state law. Since Jan. 1, Miller's campaign has spent roughly $61,500 and had about $4,000 in cash remaining as of Oct. 17, according to the disclosures.

Oglesby's campaign entered the race with about $4,000 on hand. Year-to-date, it has raised about $12,600 and spent about $10,000, with roughly $4,350 going to billboards and yard signs, the filings show.

Miller was first appointed to the Seaside City Council after running unopposed in 2022, according to The Lutrinae. He has said he is often on the losing end of council votes led by Oglesby, with fellow council members backing the mayor in 3-2 or 4-1 splits, The Lutrinae reported. Miller told Monterey County NOW in September that the city is ready for a change in leadership. He said the passage of Measure BB in 2024, which changed mayoral term limits from two to four years, motivated his run.

Oglesby has served eight years as Seaside's mayor and is seeking another term, according to the September profile. He told Monterey County NOW that his priorities include driving economic development, keeping residents safe and repairing roads and parks. He also serves as vice chair of the governance committee for the CSUMB Foundation, the university's philanthropic arm, The Lutrinae reported.

The money tells part of the story.

The three other Seaside City Council members have endorsed Oglesby, along with Assemblymember Dawn Addis, according to the September Monterey County NOW profile.

The Lutrinae reported that Oglesby's office did not respond to its requests for comment on the election.